Chapter 5: The Legion's First Breath
The air in the Sunken Crypt was still, but the shadows were alive. Zayn stood in the center of the silent chamber, his golden eyes fixed on the kneeling figure before him. The Lich, once a proud master of the undead, was now nothing more than a puppet of smoke and violet flame, bound to Zayn's very soul.
[System: Shadow Extraction (Level 1) is active.]
[Available Souls: 1/15]
[Note: Higher Intelligence and Level will increase your army's capacity.]
Zayn felt a strange, cold resonance. He could feel the shadow soldier's thoughts—or rather, its lack of them. It had no will, no desire, only an absolute, unwavering loyalty to the one who had devoured it.
"I will call you Kael," Zayn whispered.
The shadow soldier bowed lower, its form flickering like a candle in a dark wind.
[You have named your first Shadow Soldier: 'Kael'.]
[Rank: Elite Knight (Growth Type)]
[Status: Absolute Loyalty]
"Kael," Zayn commanded, his voice vibrating with the authority of the Progenitor. "Scout the corridor ahead. Clear the path."
Without a sound, Kael dissolved into the floor, a streak of darkness moving through the cracks in the stone at incredible speed. Zayn followed, his steps light but powerful. He could feel Kael's senses as if they were his own—a secondary vision that allowed him to see around corners and detect hidden traps.
This was the true power of the Monster King System. He wasn't just becoming a monster; he was becoming a Commander of the Abyss.
As he moved deeper into the second floor, the geography of the dungeon began to shift. The narrow tunnels opened up into a massive underground cathedral, its pillars carved into the likeness of screaming faces and weeping demons. The ceiling was lost in a thick, swirling mist of mana. This was the 'Altar of the Damned', the inner sanctum of the floor.
Through Kael's eyes, Zayn saw the first line of defense. A pack of 'Abyssal Hounds'—Rank-A monsters known for their blinding speed and corrosive, bone-melting bite. There were twelve of them, their fur matted with dried blood, guarding the entrance to the lower depths. In his past life as an F-Rank scout, Zayn would have been dead before he even smelled them.
Now, he felt a hunger that was almost painful.
"Engage," Zayn commanded mentally.
Kael erupted from the shadows beneath the lead hound. The phantom staff swung in a wide arc, releasing a wave of necrotic energy that decayed the monster's flesh in seconds. The hound didn't even have time to howl before it was reduced to a blackened skeleton.
The other eleven hounds lunged simultaneously, their snarling jaws dripping with green acid. But Zayn was already moving. He didn't use his camouflage this time; he wanted them to see their end. He wanted to feel the impact of his new body against their's.
One hound leaped for his throat, its eyes wide with feral hunger. Zayn caught it mid-air with his bare hand, his fingers crushing its windpipe like dry twigs. At the same time, his [Abyssal Armor] flared as another hound bit his leg. Its teeth, capable of snapping steel, shattered against Zayn's stone-like skin.
"Is that the best the Abyss can offer?" Zayn growled.
He swung the hound in his hand like a club, smashing it into two others with enough force to shatter their carapaces. Behind him, Kael was a blur of darkness, systematically decapitating any beast that tried to flank Zayn. The synergy was perfect. Master and Shadow fought in a deadly dance, a symphony of violence that painted the cathedral walls in dark, pungent ichor.
[DING!]
[12 Abyssal Hounds defeated.]
[Experience Gained: 6,200.]
[Level Up!]
[Current Level: 21]
Zayn stood in the center of the carnage, his chest heaving slightly with the thrill of the hunt. He looked at the corpses and raised his hand, his palm glowing with a dark, gravitational pull.
"Rise."
Ten more shadows rose from the ground. They were smaller than Kael, taking the form of the hounds they once were, their bodies made of shifting smoke and glowing violet eyes.
[Shadow Soldiers: 11/15]
Zayn looked at his growing army. He could feel his Mana being drained slowly to maintain their forms, but the constant 'Predation' of the environment—absorbing the ambient mana of the dungeon—was keeping his reserves steady. He was an engine of war, fueled by the very things he destroyed.
He walked toward the massive iron doors at the end of the cathedral. Beyond them lay the transition to the third floor—the territory of the True Boss.
But before he could reach the doors, a massive tremor shook the entire dungeon. Dust and large chunks of stone fell from the ceiling, and a voice, ancient and booming, echoed from the depths.
"WHO DISTURBS THE SLUMBER OF THE HOLLOW?"
[Warning! Warning!]
[The Floor Boss 'General Grave-Walker' has been prematurely awakened!]
[Difficulty: S-Rank (Lower Tier)]
[The System advises the Host to hide or retreat.]
Zayn's eyes locked onto the doors as they began to creak open. A massive, armored hand, clutching a sword the size of a stone pillar, gripped the edge of the gate. The pressure in the air tripled, making it hard to breathe.
"Retreat?" Zayn laughed, a sound that was cold and devoid of any human warmth. He looked at Kael and his ten shadow hounds, then at his own claws which were dripping with fresh essence. "I didn't come this far to run from a pile of old armor."
He felt the 'Absolute Predation' skill pulsing harder than ever in his veins, as if it were salivating at the prospect of devouring an S-Rank general.
"He isn't a threat," Zayn said, his gaze fixed on the emerging giant. "He's just more EXP."
Zayn stood his ground, his shadow army fanning out behind him, ready to tear into the first S-Rank opponent of his new life. The hunger was no longer just in his stomach; it was in his very soul. He was read
y to show the Abyss who the real master was.